@uppatoffee wrote:The cake is a birthday cake for Sean and Amelie's 1st birthday, hence the candle. They were born 1 February 2005. This would make the date of photo around the start of February 2006, so Madeleine, born 12 May 2003, would be coming up for 3. I think this fits with what she looks like in the photo.

But then the clothes that they are wearing and the garden shots do not accord with the start of February ?

uppatoffee I have to agree with that theory BUT then as sami says it really does not fit with the garden shot.

I have just blown this garden photo up and in the background are crocosmia flowers which only flower in SUMMER. They are a LATE summer flowering plant which flower AUG - SEPT!!

So back to the drawing board on the dates for that picture - one question hoe do we know 100% this was taken on the same day as the cake photo? Just because she is wearing the same dress or is there some other evidence that points to it?

The cake is for the twins' christening which must have taken place sometime in the summer.

If this is a christening then firstly I do not believe Kate would be dressed like that and secondly why are they having the celebrations at home - surely 2 Drs would have had this celebration catered?

But lets assume they do have it at home - then I do not believe there would be candles and why would anyone feel the need to put them on there just so MM could blow 2 out? Yes, if she has just witnessed Seam and Amalie blow them out, because it is their B'day cake and wants a go herself, that I can understand but if they were not there in the first place - because you don't have candles at christenings - there would be no need for MM to feel left out!!!!!

Just found this article on Pamalam which I hadn't seen before. Seems this is the origination of the cake photo..Daily Mail 6th May 2007...just 3 days after the scam broke. This was quick to get the photos and the information together and into the press only 3 days later

According to the article, the cake was for Maddies birthday in May 2006 and it is a cake based on the Wallace And Gromit theme

It's Maddy's birthday on Saturday and we're still making her a Dr Who cakeJust as she did last year, a family friend is making a special birthday cake for Madeleine. Only this year she is hoping the little girl, who turns four on Saturday, will be home to taste it.

Madeleine's great-uncle, Brian Kennedy, said the cake has a Dr Who theme because the toddler is such a big fan.

'Last year the friend made Madeleine a cake with a Wallace And Gromit theme,' he said. 'This year she's making a Dr Who one and we have told her to carry onPride and joy: Madeleine blows out the candles on a birthday cake

It typifies the response of Madeleine's family, who remain in Britain: they are striving to remain positive and strong, yet they live with pain and uncertainty.

They will the phone to ring with good news, yet at the same time they fear it ringing - because it might just be heartbreak on the end of the line.

As Mr Kennedy, a retired headmaster, said yesterday: 'We fear the worst but we are hoping for the best.'

Mr Kennedy said prayers were being said in the family's home village of Rothley, Leicestershire, and he and his wife, Janet, attended a prayer meeting last night at the village church, close to the McCanns' home.

Kate McCann, Madeleine's mother, with son Sean

Mr Kennedy, who lives just a few roads away from Madeleine's parents, added: 'It is a very difficult time. You lose a child for a few minutes and you worry about them.

'They are highly responsible parents who are absolutely devoted to their family. I can only imagine what they are like at the moment.'

He added: 'Madeleine is a lovely girl, an intelligent, bright child. We are the only close relatives the family have in the area and we see them most weeks. You won't find more caring parents.'

Last night more relatives flew out to Portugal to help the search, as most of the rest of the family gathered at Mr McCann's mother's home in Glasgow.

Mr McCann's sister-in-law Diane, 39, said: 'Gerry is trying to keep things together. All three children are their pride and joy but Madeleine was the first. They'd spent five years trying for a child through IVF treatment before Madeleine appeared.

'It's the sort of situation no parent would ever want to find themselves in and we just hope and pray Madeleine will be found.'

Kate is about the same age, but I can't get over her figure if she actually had a baby - not a hint of a tummy and not exactly up several bra sizes. Definitely a younger Maddie, no more than a month or two, three there. The lying down photo I don't even think is Maddie but about 5, 6 months? The baby Maddie - something definitely wrong with that right eye as one can see in many photos.

So totally skinny after giving birth just a few months ago? Can happen but is very rare. Is there any mention of breastfeeding Maddie?

I'd like to make a list, but the above already shouts 'preparation' - since the coloboma disappeared off the menu, this means that someone, somewhere is likely to have done the additions and changes and pasting before 3/5. Certainly TM had little time immediately after 3/5 to go into graphic design. Therefore.....

@ Portia: yes - totally sure that Donegal photos have Maddie's face pasted on, badly too. But now I'm beginning to wonder about that turned head on the pink gap dress, that head would make so much more sense if the body was turned that way too. Perhaps that's why the Gap dress never made an appearance. It wasn't hers. The other distinguishing mark - probably a real one - is a scar or mark on Maddie's leg. Now nothing is ever made of that in interviews or in tracing her. I'm wondering if the silence is because some photographs show a leg without any such mark. It is in the PJ files.

Jean wrote:JD, I don't think the Daily Mail article solves the "mystery of the birthday cake" - sounds like a case for Hercule Poirot!

A friend made a Wallace and Gromit cake in 2006 but the caption to the photo merely states "a birthday cake" not that specific one.

Two candles with blue and pink icing can only be for the twins. I can't think of any connection with that and Wallace and Gromit.

I wasn't saying the DM solves the birthday cake mystery, just putting the facts of when this photo came about in the media and interestingly...the date it first appeared. I would agree that the pink and blue icing is logically for the twins and it is likely the 'photo' that was used in the DM was not from Maddies birthday, but the DM using it and lying about it was to sell their story. Shows the mccann machine was in full swing to report their lies

Tiggers list of photos is interesting. I am sure that the tennis girl photo (which I think is Amelie, exact same body to anyone who noticed) was first given to the media on 6th May. I am sure I have seen an article from May 6th that had the tennis girl photo in it. I think it is in the mccann files. Then Pat Perkins (who got her friend in a PDL bar to phone kate mccann on 3rd May) sent her viral email on the 9th May. Its funny that they released all these photos into the media at the time Maddie was reported missing, but nobody thought of releasing a latest one!!! until we had the photoshopped poolside a massive 3 weeks later. If you not releasing latest photos of the missing child what does this tell you?

And lets not forget how they within an hour they had managed to create and then print posters of Maddie (using an old photo, where did they get this from) on paper that could not be bought in PDL. One issue that the PJ could never resolve. The reception printer was used for other copies not these specially printed photos. Maybe Malinka printed them off on his computer on May 1st or 2nd and phoned murat 20 mins after kate mccann started the scam to check if they were being used

We are told that kate mccann ran back to get her camera and take the photo of Maddie on the Tennis Court on May 1st. We are told that kate mccann took the poolside photo from her camera on May 3rd and cannot use her camera anymore since this day. Therefore both photos are on kate mccann's camera and 48 hours apart

The Tennis Court photo was in the press by May 6th (I am very sure) and used in an email chain by Pat Perkins back in the UK by May 9th. Question is, if both pictures were on kate mccanns camera and they can get the tennis court photo to the UK, why was the iconic poolside photo that shows Maddie very clearly never seen until 3 weeks later on May 24th?....and only after gerry mccann got back to PDL from his splash and dash visit to the UK to look at all the photos and videos of Maddie. The very one they used, they already had with them in PDL on kate mccanns camera...according to them that is

____________________Who pulled the strings?...THE SYMINGTONS..And the Scottish connections...Look no further if you dare

The cake is for the twins' christening which must have taken place sometime in the summer.

If this is a christening then firstly I do not believe Kate would be dressed like that and secondly why are they having the celebrations at home - surely 2 Drs would have had this celebration catered?

But lets assume they do have it at home - then I do not believe there would be candles and why would anyone feel the need to put them on there just so MM could blow 2 out? Yes, if she has just witnessed Seam and Amalie blow them out, because it is their B'day cake and wants a go herself, that I can understand but if they were not there in the first place - because you don't have candles at christenings - there would be no need for MM to feel left out!!!!!

I cannot buy that this is a christening cake - sorry just my opinion.

I follow your argument, but the twins' birthday is 1st February and who would dress the way they appear in these pictures in February in the UK? They are two doctors but weren't particularly well-off when they took their holiday in PDL, therefore it's not that odd that they should have a modest party at home. Yes, you wouldn't normally put candles on a christening cake but maybe they did it so Madeleine could blow them out as the party could have been as much a treat for her home coming (?) as it was for the twins' christening who would be too young to appreciate it in any case? Also you said yourself that some plants in the garden would only be in flower in the late summer. All very confusing...

____________________There is a taint of death, a flavour of mortality in lies...Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Sean seems to have shrunk on the same day. By the sea he is Maddies height, having the ice-cream he has really shrunk. I know the wall is slanting but they right next to each other and there isn't a drop in the wall that size between them

Maddies long sleeve top seems to grown having the ice-cream. Its looks like by the sea her hands are meant to be holding something. Maddies neck and hands just look so weird in the Donegal photos

Are these the same twins just 2 months later? They look facially so different..amazing

____________________Who pulled the strings?...THE SYMINGTONS..And the Scottish connections...Look no further if you dare

jd, I have to say the photos you display are very confusing aren't they?

Why exactly would anyone take such a massive risk and publish photos that have different children in them, or are photoshopped? What exactly are they trying to hide/prove/tell us?

I totally agree that the children - especially MM and Sean look SO different in photos that are apparently taken on the same day/week.

This week you have shown us some very good examples and I have to say I too have been looking at Sean and wondering why he looks so facially and size wise different in so many photos that are from the same time.

Does he look so different because they are photoshopping in MM into photos and haven't thought that whilst she may look right (at first glance) the rest of the children around her look different when compared to other photos - perhaps they never thought that so many people would think their story 'strange' and question them. They probably thought everyone would go along with it and therefore not look too closely at the photos.

Oh and yes, as in another thread - why if the last photo is on the same camera as the tennis shot did GM have to fly home to get it - it was there with him all along and makes a mockery of their so called hour out on the time of the camera!

Why was there a need for photographs [and where they immediately available!] of Madeleine within hours of her disappearance? Any little girl in pyjamas out there in the night could/ would have been her.

Why did the pool side photo appear so late? Alex Woolfall of Bell Pottinger arrived Saturday May 5 and one of the first things he did was sit down with the McCanns to download photos from their cameras to find one with a recognisable face. Surely he would have chosen the pool side picture for immediate publication?

Surely he would have chosen the pool side picture for immediate publication?

Despite Kate's protestations that they never made much of her eye, they in fact put an enormous emphasis on it. The supposed last photo, or the tennis girl photo don't show the eye in close up, hence the need to find a photo which did.

Surely he would have chosen the pool side picture for immediate publication?

Despite Kate's protestations that they never made much of her eye, they in fact put an enormous emphasis on it. The supposed last photo, or the tennis girl photo don't show the eye in close up, hence the need to find a photo which did.

***That must have been a hefty discussion with a specialist, to convince him to use a year-old photo

Even prior to 5th May, old images were being released. The first time I ever heard of a missing child in Portugal was on the BBC news on 4th May and the home video of Madeleine dressed as Snow White was shown.

@jd wrote:Sean seems to have shrunk on the same day. By the sea he is Maddies height, having the ice-cream he has really shrunk. I know the wall is slanting but they right next to each other and there isn't a drop in the wall that size between them

Maddies long sleeve top seems to grown having the ice-cream. Its looks like by the sea her hands are meant to be holding something. Maddies neck and hands just look so weird in the Donegal photos

Are these the same twins just 2 months later? They look facially so different..amazing

In May 2008 The bookmaker in the background still looked like it does on this Donegal picture.

If you look at this picture, blow it up, and up the street you can see the red house and the bookmakers next to it..

This mean it was painted after may 2008 sometime, this is probably not so significant, but on the Donegal Thread someone on page 3 was saying it was painted before april 2008, wich is not right..

Why exactly would anyone take such a massive risk and publish photos that have different children in them, or are photoshopped? What exactly are they trying to hide/prove/tell us?

I totally agree that the children - especially MM and Sean look SO different in photos that are apparently taken on the same day/week.

I too have been looking at Sean and wondering why he looks so facially and size wise different in so many photos that are from the same time.

Does he look so different because they are photoshopping in MM into photos

why if the last photo is on the same camera as the tennis shot did GM have to fly home to get it - it was there with him all along and makes a mockery of their so called hour out on the time of the camera!

Why was there a need for photographs [and where they immediately available!] of Madeleine within hours of her disappearance? Any little girl in pyjamas out there in the night could/ would have been her.

Why did the pool side photo appear so late? Alex Woolfall of Bell Pottinger arrived Saturday May 5 and one of the first things he did was sit down with the McCanns to download photos from their cameras to find one with a recognisable face. Surely he would have chosen the pool side picture for immediate publication?

Despite Kate's protestations that they never made much of her eye, they in fact put an enormous emphasis on it. The supposed last photo, or the tennis girl photo don't show the eye in close up

In May 2008 The bookmaker in the background still looked like it does on this Donegal picture. If you look at this picture, blow it up, and up the street you can see the red house and the bookmakers next to it. This mean it was painted after may 2008 sometime,

These are all exact questions and perplexes that I have to. None of it makes any sense. Sean & Amelie look so different within 2 months, and they are chubby in Donegal but skinny as a rake in PDL. I thought the idea of being a twin is you look like your other half, they do to me in the media PDL photo's but in Donegal Sean looks older than Amelie

How can Sean, for example, look the same 2 years later when he looks so different in 2 months? How can a child growing up be wearing the same clothes and fit 2 years later? as well as look the same

I think there can only logically be 2 answers:

1) There are other twins, lookalikes, some kind of factory churning these kids out

2) More realistically, they needed pictures with the twins and Maddie which they didn't have much of, so it looks like they took them of the twins where they could photoshop Maddie into them. Its the only explanation because the laws of nature defies all logic that has ever been seen in the history of human kind. But then Maddie herself looks different in most of them....confusion is sure good!

____________________Who pulled the strings?...THE SYMINGTONS..And the Scottish connections...Look no further if you dare

Jean wrote:Even prior to 5th May, old images were being released. The first time I ever heard of a missing child in Portugal was on the BBC news on 4th May and the home video of Madeleine dressed as Snow White was shown.

You have a good memory Jean! Even though technically it can be done to send a video so quickly to the BBC, its less than 24 hours that someone thought of this video and then to make the arrangements to get it to them, when they should have been concentrating on latest pictures for the world to know who exactly to look for. Smells of preplanning to me

____________________Who pulled the strings?...THE SYMINGTONS..And the Scottish connections...Look no further if you dare

Yes I agree it is Fiona and it is Sean but with a very swollen body compared to any photograph that I have ever seen of him. Now that could be somthing and nothing like wind or something more serious, but eh, cannot be serious cos his Mummy and Daddy are caring doctors and would be on the ball with it.

Jean wrote:Even prior to 5th May, old images were being released. The first time I ever heard of a missing child in Portugal was on the BBC news on 4th May and the home video of Madeleine dressed as Snow White was shown.

You have a good memory Jean! Even though technically it can be done to send a video so quickly to the BBC, its less than 24 hours that someone thought of this video and then to make the arrangements to get it to them, when they should have been concentrating on latest pictures for the world to know who exactly to look for. Smells of preplanning to me

That video was made by Jon Corner wasn't it? He was over in PdL almost immediately, quick work to get it to the BBC before the 5th. Doesn't that video also have the ice cream photo on it?

Eddie and Keela alerted to items and places concerned with the McCanns - and importantly to no other items or places.

According to Eddie and Keela, the body of Madeleine McCann lay lifeless behind the sofa in Apartment 5a, clinging to the only thing from which she could derive any comfort; a soft toy called 'Cuddle cat'.

Former Met Police Chief Lord Stevens:"There was no hard evidence because of the sheer inadequacy of the Portuguese investigation. There's absolutely no chance the parents of Madeleine McCann would be charged with her murder in this country. I've been a detective at the most senior level for 30 years and have never seen such a witch-hunt, or one based on such flimsy evidence."

Ch Insp Tavares de Almeida: "Kate and Gerald McCann are involved in the concealment of the cadaver of their daughter Madeleine McCann. From what has been established up to now, everything indicates that the McCann couple, in self-defence, doesn't want to deliver the cadaver immediately and voluntarily."

Kate's book 'madeleine', Page 219: "Did they really believe that a dog could smell the 'odour of death' three months later from a body that had been so swiftly removed?"

After forensic analysis of the 'Last Photo' there is little doubt now that the pool photo CANNOT POSSIBLY have been taken on the Thursday 3rd May, but most likely on the Sunday 29th April. So, where was Madeleine at lunchtime on Thursday? We don't know, but we can begin to "purport theories" based both on strong evidence, and lack of evidence.

Dr Gonçalo Amaral, retired PJ Coordinator: "The English can always present the conclusions to which they themselves arrived in 2007. Because they know, they have the evidence of what happened, they don't need to investigate anything. When MI5 opens their files, then we will know the truth."

Ex-Met DCI Colin Sutton: "The most likely scenario is that Madeleine was stolen to order by slave traders and smuggled into Africa for a rich family who wanted a white child."

Ex-Met DCI Andy Redwood had a "revelation moment" on BBC1's Crimewatch on 14th October 2013 when he announced that Operation Grange had eliminated the Tanner sighting - which opened up the 'window' of opportunity', in accordance with their remit, to allow the staged abduction to happen.

Tracey Kandohla: "A McCann pal told The Sun Online: "Some of the savings have been siphoned off from the Find Maddie Fund into a fixed asset account, which financial experts have advised them to do. It can be used for purchases like buying a house or building equipment."

Gerry McCann called for an example to be made of 'trolls'. SKY reporter Martin Brunt doorstepped Brenda Leyland on 2 October 2014 after a 'Dossier' was handed in to Police by McCann supporters. She was then found dead in a Leicester hotel room the next day. Brenda paid the price.